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PocketMac vs. Missing Sync for PocketPC?

C

cubist

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Anyone using either of these to sync a Pocket PC with a Mac? I've got to decide between them. From what I can see:

(a) PocketMac will sync tasks/events with Entourage, which is much better than iCal. The web site says it syncs "word and excel documents" but doesn't say how.

(b) Missing Sync will mount the device as a drive, allowing documents to be copied (or sync'd, using some applescript). But Missing Sync doesn't sync with Entourage. Also the Missing Sync website says they don't sync "events created with Outlook", which sounds very bizarre, but it's probably an iCal limitation.

I mainly got a Pocket PC phone (Audiovox Thera) because of the files feature. Thus far I am only syncing it with PCs, but I want to move the organizing to my PowerBook.
 
I have a Dell Axim X5 and use PocketMac. It's great and offers a lot of features. I can sync my address book, iCal, Mail and lots more. It gives me the option to add programs and other items. It can browse the X5 and let me move files around, upload them, download them and even erase them.

I would go with PocketMac, best of all I've had no problems using it with Panther.
 
I know the Markspace website says that MissingSync will be updated to work with WM5 devices. Anyone try a WM5 device with PocketMac yet?

I ... ahem... decided to indulge myself. An x51v is coming my way, probably tomorrow. 🙂 I wanna play with it to surf the web using WiFi, but I would like it to sync to my iBook too....
 
rumbletum said:
mkrishnan - did you ever manage to sync your X51v with your Mac?
Click to expand...

As far as I know, neither company has yet released a solution, and it isn't possible. I've been using it for mail and web using wifi, and reading pdf files, which are the primary reasons I wanted it, but that's all I'm getting out of it for now. 🙁

Will definitely update when one of the products becomes available....
 
Stay Far Away from Missing Sync...

Danger Will Robinson, Missing Sync sucks! Danger! Danger! Danger!

Seriously, I chose very poorly when buying a support app for my iPaq - Missing Sync is terrible: crashes, fails to detect my iPaq, poor syncs (double and even triple posting the same event), interferes with my Logitech wireless mouse (goodness knows why, but even Mark/Space acknowledges it happens), and has even managed to cause Kernel Panics. Don't buy this product, it is a waste of money and time. The 2.0 release (for Tiger) promised real big and fails to deliver. To keep using my iPaq, I'm going to have to buy PocketMac.
 
I have an O2 Xphone II and purchased PocketMac Phone.

PocketMac works intermittently (i.e whenever it feels like it) on bluetooth and USB. It's a terribly frustrating piece of software. On uninstalling it, my Mac had a kernel panic and crashed.😡

I'm looking at switching to Symbian phones. Anyone care to recommend ? Nokia or Motorola ?
 
scokim said:
I'm looking at switching to Symbian phones. Anyone care to recommend ? Nokia or Motorola ?
Click to expand...

I have an aging Nokia that runs Symbian (3650). I can't say I've tried a Moto that uses it, but I can say that your sync'ing experience will be a lot better than it has been. Supported Symbian phones get along like peas in a pod with OS X.
 
mkrishnan said:
Will definitely update when one of the products becomes available....
Click to expand...

Don't know if you're aware but there's now a pre-beta alpha release of Missing Sync that features Bluetooth syncing with Windows Mobile 5 devices.
 
FoxyKaye said:
Danger Will Robinson, Missing Sync sucks! Danger! Danger! Danger!

Seriously, I chose very poorly when buying a support app for my iPaq - Missing Sync is terrible: crashes, fails to detect my iPaq, poor syncs (double and even triple posting the same event), interferes with my Logitech wireless mouse (goodness knows why, but even Mark/Space acknowledges it happens), and has even managed to cause Kernel Panics. Don't buy this product, it is a waste of money and time. The 2.0 release (for Tiger) promised real big and fails to deliver. To keep using my iPaq, I'm going to have to buy PocketMac.
Click to expand...
Ditto.

I binned it. I now have an Axim X50v sitting aroud redundant. Apple should have support in iSync.
 
rumbletum said:
Don't know if you're aware but there's now a pre-beta alpha release of Missing Sync that features Bluetooth syncing with Windows Mobile 5 devices.
Click to expand...

I was aware, but thank you! 🙂 We were just discussing it in a different thread! 😉 Here is the other thread. It sounds as if "pre-beta" is being overly generous, though. 🙁 If you've had a better experience, though, please share it! It'd be good for some positive stories to be out there.

As for Apple providing support...it'd be nice, but I wouldn't count on it. 🙁 Unless there is a substantial uptick of WM being on phones, into mainstream high volume handsets, and those phones actually use the same WM and syncing strategy that the PDAs do. The biggest problem with WM5 is that it seems that MS has been very slow to (if they ever did) release an SDK for it. At least, that's what I understand from Aximsite.

It's certainly a very different story from the ten minutes it took me to get all of my information that was in iCal and Address Book and my Nokia into my new RAZR....
 
Is anyone still using the preview version of Markspace's Missing Sync for WM v. 2.5 (that supports WM5)? Is it getting any closer to working, or is it still a mess? I haven't been using my Axim much recently, but I do still someday want to be able to do this. 🙁
 
I've just set it up today, I've got it to sync well enough, the only problem is it crashes my Mac when I disconnect 🙁

I'm pleased with how accurately it syncs though
 
rumbletum said:
I've just set it up today, I've got it to sync well enough, the only problem is it crashes my Mac when I disconnect 🙁

I'm pleased with how accurately it syncs though
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your experience! Two questions: Bluetooth or USB, and what device?
 
I've got an Axim X51v, synced it using bluetooth, I don't think they've implemented the USB sync yet.

It all set up very easily, and seems better than when I used Missing Sync with a Palm.
 
Just to update, the Missing Sync with WM5 support has now been released officially, and includes USB support
 
rumbletum said:
Just to update, the Missing Sync with WM5 support has now been released officially, and includes USB support
Click to expand...

Is anyone using it? Does it work reliably? I may need to order a copy....
 
I have upgraded from v2 to v2.5 - my phone is windows mobile 2003 2nd edition.

it installs over the top of the old version and now I cant sync!

the small icon on the menu bar registers that I have connected but the main window doesnt.

in trying to fix it I thought I would turn the osx firewall off - when I went into the prefs it says some other firewall software is running! (I havent installed anything as far as i know).

i have uninstalled missing sync which solves the firewall problem but havent tired reinstalling yet

anyone else had these problems?
 
kvanwagoner said:
I am using it with my Motorola Q and it works great....havent had any issues
Click to expand...

Thank you! 🙂 I will have to look into this... I haven't been using my Axim that much recently, but it has been an ongoing desire of mine to have it talk to iSync.... 🙂
 
Kvanwagoner or anyone else using it, can you please explain something to me? As I was reading more about MissingSync 2.5, I noticed this business with using Tiger Sync Services as an improvement over iSync in Panther.

So this is something I don't fully understand.

Right now I have a phone that synchronizes through iSync. Will I have to launch and run a separate program that does a separate sync to get my Axim to sync using MissingSync, or will my Axim also synchronize when I run iSync? If the Axim doesn't sync when iSync is run, this "feature" is a huge pain in the ... 🙁
 
I have a T-Mobile SDAII which runs Windows Mobile 5. Would MissingSync be the solution, or is PocketMac Phone a better solution? Are there any other options besides the two?
 
Over Achiever said:
I have a T-Mobile SDAII which runs Windows Mobile 5. Would MissingSync be the solution, or is PocketMac Phone a better solution? Are there any other options besides the two?
Click to expand...

AFAIK, PocketMac has not provided a promise date for WM5 support, let alone a working option, so that would technically only be one option right now. 🙁 😱
 
mkrishnan said:
AFAIK, PocketMac has not provided a promise date for WM5 support, let alone a working option, so that would technically only be one option right now. 🙁 😱
Click to expand...

Nor have they provided a date for a working version that uses USB ports - I've been waiting for that since their message on their web site about it IN JANUARY! Even some email communication with them a month ago resulted in a cmment that it may yet be a month away.

(On a related side note - Microsoft's Active Sync running on Windows XP in Parrallels can talk with my iPac via USB perfectly - but PocketMac can't!!!!!)
 
I just wanted to add an interesting response that I got from MarkSpace about MissingSync co-habitating with iSync'd products...apparently they believe this is a no-no (although someone at AximSite said they did it anyway, and it required multiple syncs, but worked).

Hi, I have been trying to understand something related to whether your product would meet my needs, and have not been able to make headway. This issue relates to multi-way syncing. I read your knowledgebase article explaining the use of Tiger SyncServices and I still am uncertain of how this works.

Here is the scenario. I have three devices on which I wish to independently modify my appointments and/or calendar: my iBook, my Axim x51v, and my RAZR V3. I want to be able to make modifications on any of the devices and have all of the devices maintain a copy of the same information.

If the Axim supported iSync out of the box, then I would add it to iSync, which manages my RAZR now, and iSync would create a "truth" state out of the programs on my iBook and the two devices.

What I do not understand is: if I wish to do this with MissingSync, since MissingSync communicates with SyncServices separately from iSync, will I need to do multiple syncs? That is, if I make a change on each of the three devices, will I have to do:

Here's the issue. Due to the limitations of iSync (fields and categories etc.) we replaced iSync with our own software. YOu cannot have iSync active and Missing Sync. Even if you did you will have syncing errors and duplicates on devices.


- iSync to get the change off the RAZR onto the iBook
- MissingSync to get the change off the Axim onto the iBook
- Now iSync again because the RAZR doesn't have the Axim change

This seems grossly inefficient in comparison to what you had going before SyncServices... But I'm not sure this is what would actually be required? Does initiating iSync also trigger MissingSync or vice versa?

The only reason you needed iSync is that we don't support the Razr, if we did then you could bypass iSync totally and just use Missing Sync. So the bottom line you can sync either the RAZR and not use Missing SYnc or your Axim or sync the Axim and not the RAZR.

No date planned to sync the RAZR. Sorry.
Click to expand...

(Bold text is the MarkSpace rep)
 
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